Texas Tech PA Program Interview: Format, Dates and Who Gets In
Texas Tech's applications for 2027 entry closed October 1, 2026, and Zoom interviews and rolling offers continue through the fall and spring. Here is what happens, how you get invited and how offers are decided.
Texas Tech's applications for 2027 entry closed on October 1, 2026. Interviews are by invitation only, on Zoom, and run on a rolling basis from the fall. The program interviews about 220 to 260 applicants for up to 72 seats. Some hear within a week, and offers can continue through the spring until classes start on May 24, 2027.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Next step
- Rolling Zoom interviews this fall, with offers through the fall and spring. Applications closed October 1, 2026.
- Format
- An interview on Zoom. PAEA lists a traditional interview. Texas Tech does not publish who interviews or how long it lasts.
- Online or in person
- Online, on Zoom. PAEA lists no onsite interview.
- Who is interviewed
- About 220 to 260 applicants a year, chosen by a holistic review of the application.
- Decision
- Rolling. Some hear within a week of the interview, others after all interviews. Offers can come until classes start.
- Seats
- Up to 72 a year. Classes start May 24, 2027.
- Application
- CASPA plus a $75 School of Health Professions supplemental application, not TMDSAS. The GRE is required.
- Special consideration
- Residents of TTUHSC's West Texas service area and the Permian Basin, veterans and military, and residents of health professional shortage areas.
What happens at the interview
Texas Tech interviews by invitation only, and every interview is on Zoom.
- On Zoom. You interview from home, so there is no trip to Midland for the interview.
- Format. PAEA's directory lists a traditional interview. Texas Tech does not publish who interviews you, how many interviewers there are or how long it lasts.
- Communication counts. Texas Tech says it judges superior interpersonal communication from your application and the required interview.
- Rolling schedule. The rolling interview process starts in the fall semester. Texas Tech does not post set interview dates.
Treat Zoom like a room. Test your camera, sound and light the day before. Look at the camera when you answer, and keep notes out of sight.
How offers are decided
Offers are rolling, so timing differs from one applicant to the next.
- Within a week, or later. Some applicants hear within a week of their interview. Others hear after all interviews are done.
- Through the spring. Acceptances can happen throughout the fall and spring, up to the day classes start.
- Holding your seat. A $125 nonrefundable placement guarantee fee secures a seat. Offers are good for one year only, with no deferrals except for military duty.
- Who gets special consideration. Residents of the 108 counties TTUHSC serves, veterans and military, residents of underserved areas, and applicants from economically or environmentally disadvantaged backgrounds.
Who got in
PAEA's directory lists an average overall GPA of 3.6 and science GPA of 3.62 for Texas Tech's matriculants.
How you get an interview
Texas Tech reviews each application once it is complete and picks interviewees through a holistic review.
- Apply early. Priority went to applicants with a verified CASPA, a complete supplemental and official GRE scores by August 1. Later files were reviewed in order until interview spots filled.
- Grades and the GRE. A 3.0 cumulative and science GPA is the minimum. Typical candidates have a B+ average in upper-level sciences and GRE scores above the 35th percentile.
- Experience. Health care and shadowing hours are not required, but they strengthen your application.
- Mission fit. Texas Tech looks for work with medically underserved communities like those in West Texas, service, leadership and overcoming barriers to education.
- Prerequisites. No more than 9 hours can be in progress when you apply. All must be done before you start.
Dates and other details
Texas Tech posts its deadlines and start date but not interview dates.
Dates for 2027 entry
- August 1, 2026. Priority deadline for a verified CASPA, the supplemental and GRE scores. This has passed.
- October 1, 2026. Applications closed. This has passed.
- Fall 2026 to spring 2027. Rolling Zoom interviews and offers.
- May 24, 2027. Classes begin.
- 2028 entry. Texas Tech hasn't posted dates for the next cycle. PAEA says each CASPA cycle opens on the last Thursday in April.
The program
The 27-month program focuses on primary care and family medicine. You spend 15 months in classes in Midland, then 12 months on rotations across Texas and parts of New Mexico.
A federal grant funds a rural track, and students serve at a free clinic during the classroom year.
How to prepare
Texas Tech does not publish its questions, so practice clear, personal answers about why PA, why primary care and why West Texas.
- Know the mission. The program aims to increase access to care for communities in West Texas and beyond. Explain how you fit that.
- Bring an underserved story. Work with underserved communities is one of the listed selection factors, so prepare a real example.
- Know the PA role. Knowledge of the profession is highly valued. Be ready to explain what PAs do and how they work with physicians.
- Practice on camera. Record a few answers on Zoom and watch them back for eye contact, pace and filler words.
Answer invitations quickly. Interviews and offers are rolling, and some applicants hear within a week of their interview.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a Interview (Zoom) station, written for applicants to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Nadine and Tom Craddick Physician Assistant Studies Program. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
You're a PA in a primary care clinic, and a patient's symptoms are unusual and outside your experience. Your collaborating physician is out sick today. What are your next steps?
Show you know who else to call, when to refer and how to keep the patient safe in the meantime.
Think back to a time in your patient care experience that showed you that you wanted to be a PA rather than a physician. Tell me about that moment.
Tell one real moment in detail and explain what it taught you about the PA role.
A new patient says, 'Oh, so you're the one who just takes the blood pressure and gets the doctor?' How would you explain what you actually do in a way that builds their confidence?
Explain your role warmly and accurately, without sounding defensive or claiming to be the doctor.
Tell me about a time in your health care role when you were asked to do something slightly outside your training or comfort zone. What did you do?
Avoid faking confidence or refusing outright. Describe exactly how you asked for help.
Your supervising physician suggests a treatment plan that doesn't match current clinical guidelines you've just studied, though it isn't dangerous. How would you approach that difference?
Raise it privately and with curiosity, leaving room for the physician to be right.
You are a PA. Your supervising physician tells you to rush through your remaining patient visits because they want to close the clinic early on a Friday. Have the conversation.
Protect your patients without turning it into a fight, and offer a practical plan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Texas Tech PA interview online?
Yes. Interviews are by invitation only and are completed on Zoom. PAEA lists no onsite interview.
How many applicants does Texas Tech PA interview?
About 220 to 260 a year. Up to 72 students start each May.
When will I hear after my Texas Tech PA interview?
Some applicants hear within a week. Others hear after all interviews are done, and acceptances can come through the fall and spring until classes start.
Does Texas Tech PA use CASPA or TMDSAS?
CASPA. You also complete a School of Health Professions supplemental application, with a $75 fee, using a link emailed after you submit CASPA.
Does Texas Tech PA require the GRE?
Yes. Send official scores to CASPA with code 3652. Scores more than five years old are not valid.
Sources
Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.
- Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center: Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) · read October 26, 2026
- PAEA CASPA Program Directory: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center · read October 26, 2026
- PAEA: CASPA for PA Programs (annual CASPA timeline) · read October 26, 2026